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Russian names (was: Re: A perfect day...)

From:Matt Pearson <jmpearson@...>
Date:Friday, January 28, 2000, 15:28
I wrote:

>>Determining what my Russian name is is complicated by the fact >>that my father and I both go by our middle names. So should I base >>my Russian given name and patronymic on our first names or our >>middle names? If they were based on our middle names, I would be >>Mattvei Stepanovich Petrov. If they were based on first names, >>I would be Yul Ivanovich Petrov.
Vasiliy replied:
>There is no distinction between 'first' and 'middle' names in Russian. >So you can safely name yourself Matvey Stepanovich (or Metyu Stivenovich, >as we in Russia mostly transcribe foreign names based on their sound >rather than etymology, with rare exceptions like the names of monarchs).
But I was attempting to Russify "Matthew". I was told that "Mattvey" is the Russian equivalent, although it's a rather uncommon name in Russia.
>Aren't you a person of royal descendance, occasionally ? If so, there >is a special rule. I believe then you'd be Iuliy Ioannovich (and not >simply Yuliy Ivanovich; but I doubt about the etimology of your first >name: Julius?).
My first name is Joel, which would be "Yul" in Russian, wouldn't it? Matt.